Trick or Treat
by unwittysidekick
Summary: A chance encounter at a costume party changes the lives of two of the JAG staff forever.


Disclaimers: None of this is mine  
A/N: Normally I'm not big on anything Halloween, but this idea came to me and I thought it was pretty interesting.  
A/N 2: The fairytale element wasn't part of the original plan, it just kinda took on a life of its own.

2100 local time  
Willard Hotel  
Washington DC

Harmon Rabb glanced around the ballroom, trying to find Keeter. His friend had dragged him to this Halloween party but at some point in the evening Harm had lost track of him. The last he'd seen of him, before they had gotten separated in the crowd, Keeter had been trying to charm not one, but two different women.

Harm sighed and sipped at his drink, being careful not to drain it to quickly. It was spiked with something really strong.

He hadn't even wanted to come tonight but when Keeter had shown up at his apartment earlier he'd insisted. And since he was only in town for forty-eight hours, Harm couldn't very well say no. Harm continued to glance around the room, wondering how much longer he had to stay before he could leave.

She was standing over by the doors when he first saw her. A dark-haired woman in a strapless, sequined gown and a matching half-mask. Her eyes were the first thing he noticed. A shade of blue so striking they took his breath away from halfway across the room. She turned her head slightly and their eyes met, and for a moment Harm felt there was something almost familiar about them. He shook it off, though, when he noticed her lips quirking upward in a hint of a smile. He found himself making his way towards her, all thoughts of leaving the party forgotten.

Coming up beside her, Harm smiled down at her. "Hi."

"Hi."

She smiled back at him and Harm found himself breathless for the second time in as many minutes. He continued to stare down at her. Her chestnut brown hair had a slight curl to it, and was styled to frame her face adorably. He noticed a few blond strands had worked themselves free along her neck, though, so he figured she was wearing a wig as part of her costume.

"So, pilot huh?"

Her words cut into his thoughts. _How did she...__  
_  
A second later it hit him that she was referring to his costume. He nodded. "World War I flying Ace."

"An Ace, huh?" Her smile transformed into a teasing grin and Harm felt his heart rate start to pick up. "You're awfully sure of yourself, aren't you?"

"Have to be." Harm smirked down at her, enjoying their teasing banter.

"Cocky too." But she smiled as she said it, taking any sting out of the words. She held out her hand. "Well Mr. Red Baron, sir, pleased to make your acquaintance."

Harm took her hand in his, but on a whim, instead of shaking it brought it up to his lips so he could press a quick kiss to it. "The pleasure is all mine. And what should I call you, Miss..."

She looked up at him, her hand still in his. "You can call me Cinderella."

* * *

Loren Singer stared up at the handsome mystery pilot holding her in his arms as they swayed on the dance floor. He had his vintage goggles propped up on his forehead, on top of his flight hat, although he hadn't shed the mask he'd had on underneath them.

Ignoring those around them, they had spent the last couple of hours chatting and dancing. By unspoken agreement, they had avoided anything too personal. They still didn't even know each other's real names.

Despite this, Loren knew she was already starting to fall for him. She'd never clicked with anyone like this before. He could make her laugh and he had a smile that made her knees go weak. For a moment she wondered if all pilots were issued that 'flyboy grin' with their wings. She'd certainly seen Commander Rabb use it often enough on other people...

And to think she almost hadn't come tonight. She'd bought the ticket months ago, mainly because the proceeds were going to charity, and had then forgotten all about it. She'd only rediscovered her ticket just this morning, deciding to actually come on the spur of the moment. Now she was glad she had.

When the party finally started to break up, Loren found herself reluctant to leave and her companion seemed just as reluctant as her to part ways. As they slowly made their way out of the ballroom, he offered her his arm. Loren took it, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked. In the lobby, he pulled them off to the side, away from all the people still leaving the ballroom, and turned so he was facing her.

"I had a really good time tonight."

He paused and Loren smiled up at him, feeling the same way. Biting her lower lip, she worked up her nerve for what she was going to say to him next. She didn't normally do this kind of thing, after all.

"The night doesn't have to be over just yet."

He stared down at her as if he wasn't quite sure she'd meant what he thought she had.

Gathering up her courage, Loren stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips lightly over his. A moment later, her lips still tingling from the kiss, she stared up at him, knowing she had a slightly vulnerable look in her eyes and hating it, while she waited for him to respond. He stared down at her for a second then lowered his head to hers.

* * *

Harm stepped away from the front desk and started walking back towards his companion. He didn't usually do this kind of thing, and normally he'd be even less inclined to be with a woman who would suggest it herself so soon after they met. But he'd seen her having to work up her nerve before suggesting it, as well as the fear of rejection in her eyes afterward, and he just knew that this wasn't normal for her either.

He found her right where he'd left her, over by the elevators. He held up the key card for her to see and she pressed a kiss to his cheek, just below the edge of his mask. Then she turned around and pressed the call button to summon the elevator.

Immediately the doors right in front of them opened. Without a word they got in and Harm pressed the button for the fourth floor. Standing next to each other in silence as the elevator ascended, Harm reached over and took her hand in his, their fingers intertwining.

Their room wasn't that far from the elevators. When they got there she took the key card from him and opened the door, flicking the switch to turn the lights on as she walked inside. The door closed behind them and Harm followed her further into the hotel room.

Slipping off his head gear while leaving his mask on, he set them down on the small end table next to the bed. Moving over to where she was standing at the foot of the bed, Harm wrapped his arms around her. Slowly lowering his head till his lips met hers, he kissed her. His tongue probed gently at her lips and she parted them willingly, allowing him to deepen the kiss. They broke apart only when their need for oxygen became greater than their need for each other.

Leaving her mouth, Harm pressed tender kisses along the line of her jaw until he reached the spot just below her ear. He reached up to the back of her head to remove her mask.

"No, don't." She said, pulling back slightly from him.

Harm paused, wondering for a minute if this was some kind of fetish thing. Then he looked down into her eyes, and suddenly he felt it too. Somehow, someway, removing their masks now would break whatever it was that was going on between them. He nodded his agreement before capturing her lips with his again.

* * *

Being careful not to disturb him, Loren slipped out of her lover's arms and gathered her scattered clothing off the floor. She dressed quickly, wanting to be gone before he woke up. Last night had been incredible. He was the most passionate, tender, and giving lover she'd ever had. But afterward, his arms wrapped securely around her as he slept, she began to fear that it was all too good to be true. That he would no longer be interested when he found out who she really was. And that, like Cinderella, she needed to flee her Prince Charming before the illusion fell apart.

Dressed now, Loren slowly removed her mask, hanging it from the bedpost as she watched him sleep. For a moment she was tempted to slip his mask off and see just who her mystery lover was. But in the end she left it on, refusing to spoil her memories of last night just to satisfy her curiosity. Pressing one last kiss to his cheek, Loren slipped out of the room.

0800 local time  
JAG Headquarters  
Falls Church, Virginia

Harm pushed through the double doors into the bullpen, briefcase in hand, and headed towards his office. Once inside, with the door closed behind him, Harm set the briefcase down next to his desk and dropped down into his chair. On their own, his thoughts turned back to the previous morning.

When he woke up yesterday, the first thing he'd seen when he'd opened his eyes was the mask hanging from the bedpost next to his head. And he had known without even looking around that he was alone in the hotel room. He'd felt a pang of regret, knowing he would never see her again. He hadn't even learned her real name.

Harm shook his head, trying to bring his focus back to the here and now. Deciding coffee might help, he went back out into the bullpen. Bypassing the cream and sugar he took it straight black, needing to get the full effect of the bitter brew.

On his way back to his office he ran into Bud and Harriet. He nodded at them, intending to continue on his way.

"Looks like somebody got lucky last night."

Harm started coughing, having just taken a sip of his coffee when Harriet spoke.

"What?"

Harriet looked at him strangely for a second but didn't comment. Instead, she turned back to Bud. She nodded her head towards Lieutenant Singer, who had just walked into the bullpen and was standing across the room.

"The ice queen must have experienced a brief thaw."

Bud laughed. Harm frowned and turned to see what she was talking about, and nearly dropped his coffee cup from suddenly nerveless fingers! Peeking out above the edge of her collar despite her obvious attempts to hide it was a hickey, the very same one he had given his mystery lover two nights ago!

He tuned out Bud's answering comment comparing Loren to a preying mantis as his mind struggled to process this new information. She _was_ about the right height, and he'd already figured that whoever it was was really a blond underneath a dark-haired wig. And her eyes...no wonder they had seemed familiar the other night!

"Are you okay sir?"

"Huh?" Harm turned back to Bud and Harriet to find Bud looking at him with concern. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine Bud."

He looked back over at Loren. Finished now with whatever she had been doing, she was leaving the bullpen, heading in the direction of her office.

Ignoring the looks Bud and Harriet were still giving him, Harm went back to his own office. He dropped back into his chair, his coffee cup sitting on his desk forgotten as he stared off into space. Yesterday he'd wondered who his mystery lover had been. Now he knew. The only question now was, did knowing that change anything?

* * *

Loren stared down at the case file in front of her, trying to focus her thoughts, but instead they kept turning to the other night. That night had left its mark on her, in more ways than one. Unconsciously she lifted her hand to rub at the mark on her neck. If she closed her eyes she could still feel the press of his lips to her skin, marking her as his.

Realizing what she was doing, Loren lowered her hand with a muttered curse and shook her head. She'd made her decision, and like so many others she'd made over the years, she now had to live with the consequences.

Turning back to her case, Loren started jotting down notes onto a legal pad.

"I think you forgot this Lieutenant."

Loren sighed, recognizing the voice of Commander Rabb. So lost was she in her own thoughts, she hadn't even heard him walk into her office. Curious despite herself about what he could be referring to, Loren started to look up, and froze.

Dangling from his index finger by the strap was the mask she'd worn the other night to the costume party!

Her eyes widened. If he had that, then that meant..._Oh, no!__  
_  
Hesitating a second, Loren finished looking up, bracing herself for the disgust she was certain she would see in his eyes.

It wasn't there.

Instead, what she saw in his eyes surprised her. And scared her.

Harm looked down at Loren for another minute, watching all the different emotions flash across her face. Finally he spoke up. "Why did you run away yesterday?"

He knew as soon as the words were out of his mouth that it was the wrong thing to say. The wrong way to start this conversation.

Her nostrils flaring and her eyes narrowing, Loren straightened up in her chair and glared at him.

"I didn't run away, I left. I'd gotten what I'd wanted from you and didn't feel like sticking around for you to try to complicate things unnecessarily."

Harm felt as though he'd just been kicked in the chest. For a moment he couldn't breath. And he almost turned and walked out of her office right then. But then, for the first time, he looked past her words and saw what she was trying to keep hidden underneath - the vulnerability and fear. The same vulnerability and fear she'd allowed him to see the other night.

Realizing that, he stayed where he was. He opened his mouth to speak again.

"Nope." He said matter-of-factly, shaking his head. "I don't buy it. Here's what _I _think happened. You let your mask slip that night and it scared you, so you ran."

Harm held his breath, waiting to see how she would respond. Sitting in his office earlier, trying to decide what he was going to do, he'd realized she'd taken a piece of his heart with her when she left. He could only hope she'd left a part of hers in return.

Her jaw jutting out, she glared at him some more. But a moment later the hard line of her jaw softened and her lower lip started trembling. Loren looked down, no longer able to meet his gaze, and nodded her head jerkily.

Harm let out the breath he had been holding. Dropping the mask onto her desk, he stuck his finger under her chin and tilted her head up till she was looking at him again. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Don't run away from me again." Harm pleaded quietly.

Loren's eyes widened. He couldn't possibly mean that. She was the ice queen after all. Why would anyone want to be with her?

As if he was reading her mind, Harm smiled down at her. "I want you Loren. I wanted you the other night, and I still want you. I want to see where this will go. We connected that night, even before we made love. I'm not saying this is going to be easy. But, I've made my decision. What's yours?"

Loren looked up at him, her very own Prince Charming. He was still smiling but behind that she saw the worry in his eyes, the fear that she would reject him again. Maybe they weren't all that different after all.

It was that thought that persuaded her.

Picking her mask up off the desk, she smiled at him as she put it on.

"I think it fits."

It took him a second to realize what she was saying. When he did, his smile grew wider causing her knees to go weak as his flyboy grin lit up his face.


End file.
